July 8, 2025

WHO SAYS THERE’S NO HUMOUR IN CRIME? NOT ‘WHISTLE’ AUTHOR LINWOOD BARCLAY

GRAVENHURST — Authors are like stand-up comedians at readings and book signings.

Light, lively and full of great humour — while plugging for their latest novel.

Linwood Barclay over 60 minutes entertained an audience of Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) members and guests recently at the Opera House here.

The Canadian crime novelist relied heavily on his previous life as a comedic columnist for the Toronto Star to regale and draw a room full of uproarious laughter for his one-man show.

Certainly no crime there.

New York Times best-selling author Linwod Barclay read from his new novel ‘Whistle,’ which admitted it’s always “difficult” for him to contain his humour when writing crime and his latest chiller thriller. PHOTOS Mark Clairmont

But for the life-long writer who started penning Man From Uncle scripts and mailing unsolicited TV dramas to the creators — for which he commenced every author’s career of rejections slips — he talked closer to home about a journalistic career, which began at the Peterborough Examiner for the Connecticut-born resident who grew up in the Bancroft area.

After editing jobs at the Star he succeeded Gary Lautens as the Star’s resident daily smile and laugh-in writer.

All the while continuing to pen, type, write, pursue and pitch book ideas to publisher

Always hunting for the perfect lead or hook to snare readers.

So when after a fast hour — including a short reading — Barclay turned to the Q&A he was quickly kept on his toes with at least one insightful question about how he edits his tendency toward humour out of his crime novels.

A difficult “balancing act” he leaves to his own editors to keep him in check line by line.

A good question many of the writers among the more than 150 on hand wanted to hear.

There wasn’t much of that craftsmanship. He admitted to morning rituals of 1,500 words when he buckles down to write a book that takes a good year to knock off.

It was more stand-up wordsmithing. Which was often funny at times.

**Barclay hams it up with the CFUW’s equally amused Susan Daglish June 27 at a Gravenhurst Opera House signing and talk.**

The New York Times best-selling list author did a brisk businesses penning his name to dozens of copies of his latest thriller Whistle, a supernatural thriller chiller in which a Annie and her young son Charlie move to a small town looking for a fresh start, only to be haunted by disturbing events and strange visions when they find a mysterious train set in a storage shed.

Like the story it’s a bit off-track from his other criminal book intents.

But one his followers in this small town with a railway history may well connect with.

And that will allow readers to search for clues with a light at the end of the tunnel using their one-track minds.

And how about this for a scary cover endorsement?

Stephen King calls it “Terrific!”